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Chapter 235 When the Defending Champion Embarks on a Dynasty's Journey

If we were to say that Qin Yue's liking for Butler stemmed primarily from the opponent's aggressive playing style in his previous life, then...

After a full month of getting to know each other.
Qin Yue had already fallen in love with this young man who never gave up on the court.

In later generations, a benefactor in Butler's life, as well as his best friend, Jordan Leslie once described him as follows: "Jimmy had a million reasons to give up and fall into depravity, but he chose the most positive and progressive path."

Like many NBA players.

Butler also had the typical start of a superstar: his father left home shortly after his birth.

only.
Unlike NBA players who were raised by their mothers alone, Butler's situation is even worse.

When he was thirteen, his mother kicked him out of the house because she didn't like his appearance.

It wasn't until Leslie suggested that Butler move into his home that the young player, who had had to live with others since his teenage years, finally found a stable place to stay.

“Life has taught me that compassion won’t make things easier for me,” Butler said. “But courage can, so I have to thank my past experiences, because they have made me who I am today.”

Cherish and strive to seize every opportunity that comes your way.

Life taught Butler how to survive in this world, and at the same time, it forged a heart of steel within him.

Over the past month, Qin Yue noticed that, influenced by Butler, even Danny Green had become more proactive than ever before.

This made Qin Yue realize instantly that Butler was a natural-born "locker room commissar".

“Jimmy possesses abilities that even I don’t have,” Qin Yue told Grover. “He will definitely become the perfect locker room leader for the Warriors in the future.”

Upon hearing this, Grover, sensing that Qin Yue intended to delegate more power to Butler in the new season, nodded and said, "This kid's mental attributes are so strong that I even suspect he is a veteran who has been playing in the league for many years, rather than a rookie."

As someone who's been through it all, Grover knows very well...
With limited energy, Qin Yue is destined to be unable to lead the Warriors to victory while also continuing to act as the team's locker room leader off the court, as he has done in the past two seasons.

Therefore, Grover believes that Qin Yue's decision to delegate authority to Butler will not only help Qin Yue focus more on the game.

Furthermore, compared to Qin Yue, who can never empathize with those of mediocre talent, Butler's ability to connect with ordinary role players makes him a more suitable player to lead the team's locker room.

However, when Qin Yue decided to delegate power...

Grover couldn't help but think more highly of him.

“You’ve grown.”

At that moment, looking up at Qin Yue, Grover said from the bottom of his heart, "You know, the longer you stay at the peak, the more likely you are to lose sight of yourself."

Seeing this, Qin Yue laughed and said, "Even the most capable king cannot do without the assistance of his prime minister. If the German Emperor had not had Bismarck, it is probably still unknown whether Germany could have achieved unification."

Qin Yue knew that he was never a perfect player in the strict sense.

Or rather, there is no such thing as a player who is perfect in every aspect in this world.

That's why Qin Yue has always referred to the Warriors as a super team in every era.

After all, even the greatest players can't do without teammates who possess a variety of unique skills.

In Qin Yue's eyes, there is only one type of player in the world who can win a championship without needing teammates.

Unfortunately, that track, which relies on belittling teammates to elevate oneself, doesn't suit Qin Yue's personality.

Why has Qin Yue never cared about how his external rivals have strengthened their positions over the years?
The team culture and chemistry that the Warriors developed because of Qin Yue meant that his teammates would always achieve more than the sum of their parts.

Why should the Warriors search for the best player like other teams do?
The Warriors' strongest player will always be on their own roster.

……

In August, after the two major upheavals triggered by the Knicks and Lakers, the NBA free agent market, which had been relatively quiet, saw no further explosive news.

As the defending champions from last season, the other players on the Warriors roster haven't been idle this summer either.

With Dell Curry's help, Stephen Curry will further refine his shooting form this summer.

Jamison, who was vacationing with Dunleavy, focused his holiday training on catch-and-shoot techniques.

Although with the Warriors, Jamison doesn't have to worry about not having the ball in his hands.

But Jamison, who is already 35 years old, still wants to do better in the new season.

Bale, who will soon be at the end of his professional career in the new season, is also constantly polishing his rusty "hunting rifle".

Bell longs to be remembered forever for the establishment of the Warriors dynasty, just like the role players of the Chicago Bulls dynasty.

As for Nash, who received the same treatment as Qin Yue and could only start high-intensity training after the start of the regular season, he had the leisure to go to Italy to participate in Inter Milan's trial.

Despite Nash's involvement in the Warriors' upcoming NBA season.
Inter Milan unfortunately missed out on the famous Canadian footballer Nash, but after this trial, Nash successfully fulfilled his football dream.

It's worth mentioning that Kwame Brown, who signed with Anta this year, received an unprecedented welcome during his summer tour of China.

In addition, Brown, who always says "Qin Yue is the greatest historical figure" wherever he goes, has also officially published his first biography, "Kwame Brown: Why the Messiah is Great".

Yes.

Even if it sounds a little outrageous.

But Brown's biography is less about him and more about praising Qin Yue.

Especially after signing with Anta this summer, Brown has found a completely new path.

"I've discovered that in the hearts of Chinese fans, I'm actually the second-best center of my generation, second only to 'Big-Yao'!" Brown excitedly told Qin Yue over the phone.

Qin Yue said, both amused and exasperated, "What does this prove?"

Brown analyzed for Qin Yue: "China has a much larger basketball population than the United States. Therefore, in my opinion, the recognition from Chinese fans is far more valuable than that from American fans. Moreover, how many years has it been since the Indianapolis Olympics in 02 that American basketball has won a real world championship?"

After a pause, Brown added, "So, what do Americans know about basketball?"

Through this year's China tour, Brown has found a path that can help him overtake others.

Meanwhile, Wallace, who had returned to his hometown of Childburg for a leisurely vacation, was busy repairing his neighbor's car.

As an outstanding basketball player, don't ask Wallace why he always carries a wrench with him.

"Gerrard, can you achieve a three-peat next season?"

While Wallace was getting his car repaired, his neighbor looked on with curiosity.

Upon hearing this, Wallace simply smiled slightly.

"Next time you get your car fixed, please remember to call me Gerrard, the player of the dynasty."

Time flies, and it's already September of this year.

With the team's preseason training camp approaching, Hill, who will soon turn 39, asks himself almost every day if he still has gas left in the tank.

Jack, who had promised his mother he would get a college degree, returned to Georgia Institute of Technology and officially completed his studies, and is now looking forward to the new season.

In late September, the Warriors' preseason training camp officially opened.

On the opening day, Ben Wallace, who had returned with his iconic afro, undoubtedly became the most eye-catching player.

Although Ben Affleck has always looked down on Brown.

However, in his interactions with the other party, Ben also realized the importance of marketing himself.

"That guy is right. Only by having your own unique logo can you make fans remember you forever."

Livingston, who had a tumultuous year, prayed to God on the opening day of camp, hoping that his damn injury would stay away from him.

Livingston is eager to contribute more to this championship team.

After all, who wouldn't want more screen time in a documentary about the Warriors' future dynasty?

"Matt, I heard you've been boxing all summer?" Brown asked Barnes with a curious look at him at the preseason training camp. Barnes nodded.

Barnes has made ample preparations to ensure the establishment of the Warriors dynasty.

However, from the perspective of young Dunleavy...
In a group fight, fists are never as effective as a baseball bat.
At Oracle Arena, when the team's head coach Mike Malone stepped into the arena...
Looking at this team, whose fighting spirit was already at its peak without him even needing to motivate them, Ma Longxuan immediately picked up a pen and wrote down the slogan he had prepared for this warrior team long ago on the blackboard:
—This ambition is unparalleled.

The Warriors, aiming to create a dynasty with a three-peat, exuded a powerful aura from the very first day of their formation, a determination that they would not allow anyone to disrupt their plans.

Interestingly, for the upcoming new season, the league has also adopted a promotional slogan that is more in line with the current era:
This is why we play.
The Warriors are undoubtedly the reigning champions.

But in an era where all players and teams of the same generation aim to defeat Qin Yue and the Warriors, can the Warriors' path to defending their title really be smooth sailing?

In October, Qin Yue, who was finally allowed by Grover to undergo systematic training, felt from the start of the preseason just how much the Warriors' competitors wanted to beat them.

The Warriors lost three of their six preseason games this year.

In the preseason, which is usually mainly for training purposes, the opponents who face the Warriors every night always inadvertently raise the intensity of the game itself.

why?
Even in the preseason, ambitious teams don't want to lose to the Warriors.

Even the Hornets, who are planning to tank in the new season to compete for the number one draft pick and are about to be renamed the Pelicans, showed in their preseason game against the Warriors that they wanted to go toe-to-toe with the defending champions.

Although these teams that are determined to tank are destined to pose no threat to the Warriors.

But starting from the preseason.
The attitudes shown by various teams when facing the Warriors have already proven that no team will willingly accept the Warriors' dominance.

Moreover, since the Warriors are the most popular team in the league right now, beating them even once would be like a holiday for other teams.
Whether in their past or present lives, Scottie Pippen and Draymond Green have both expressed similar views.

In other words, when facing that Bulls team from back then and the Warriors team from later years, other teams would always be incredibly motivated and eager to defeat them.

10 month 27 day.

The Warriors, playing at Oracle Arena, officially kicked off their 11/12 regular season with their first game of the season.

That night, facing the Minnesota Timberwolves who came to participate in the Warriors' championship flag-raising ceremony and championship ring ceremony, Qin Yue, just like last year, still had to gradually regain his form through a lot of games, and only scored 24 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.

This made Yi Jianlian, who was mainly responsible for guarding Qin Yue on the court, immediately feel the gentlest side of his brother Qin.

However, Danny Green, who was tasked with proving Qin Yue wrong about his judgment in this game, wasn't so lucky.

"Isn't your shooting practice record second only to Stephen? Why is it that when you receive the ball, you never dare to shoot?"

"me."

"No, no, no. If you don't want to play in the NBA, you can report to the Santa Cruz Warriors tomorrow."

With Bell getting older, Green's playing time will inevitably increase further this season. On this night, he played 19 minutes for the Warriors, but only made 1 of 3 shots.

Such a performance is destined to disappoint Qin Yue's expectations of him.

In contrast, Butler, who came on as a substitute for Wallace for 13 minutes, played with great courage and determination.

Just
Despite his selfless performance, Butler only managed 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in terms of personal statistics, despite his impressive plus-minus of 17.

In a business league where performance is judged by five key statistics most of the time, Butler's debut performance clearly does not prove Qin Yue's judgment.

"Are you really planning to have Dan report to the Santa Cruz Warriors?" Brown asked Qin Yue in the locker room after the game.

"What's wrong?" Qin Yue asked in return.

Upon hearing this, Brown, who had never questioned Qin Yue, said, "It's nothing. I just wanted to say that perhaps Dan's ability is only enough to fight in the NBDL."

"."

This is outrageous!

So this means that even his most loyal henchmen are now starting to question his judgment of people?

"Kwame, do you remember how Michael treated you back then?"

"of course I remember."

"So why can't you, who's been through the rain, be more patient with the younger players?"

Qin Yue did indeed plan to demote Green for a period of time.

But this doesn't mean that in Qin Yue's eyes, Green can only play in the NBDL.

During training this summer, Green had already demonstrated to Qin Yue that he had the potential to become a top-tier 3-and-D player in the NBA.

Therefore, Qin Yue understands better than anyone that Green just needs to build up his confidence that he can play in the NBA.

Otherwise, he would never be able to bring his training performance to the field.

As for bastards like Brown who constantly put pressure on young players and say others are only fit to play in the NBDL?
"Kwame, did you know that the Santa Cruz Warriors have been really keen to sign a center lately?"

"Ok?"

"Why don't you bring your talent to NBDL as well?"

"."

In late October, after defeating the Trail Blazers on the road, and with Green being demoted, the mentally gifted Big Jiba took on the responsibility of proving Qin Yue wrong about his judgment of players.

However, in the first week of the November games, the young Butler fully demonstrated another major characteristic of his future.

In other words, it guarantees a win but not a loss.

In the home game against the Kings, Butler played 18 minutes for the Warriors, shooting 1-for-4 and scoring only 2 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists, but his plus-minus was a high +19.

In the away game against the Suns, Butler played 21 minutes and only scored 2 points on 1-of-5 shooting, but his plus-minus was a high +20.

Next up is a home game against the Grizzlies.

That night, Butler finally scored a new career high.
4 points.
In fact, when Butler is on the court, Qin Yue and his teammates can all feel that they play more comfortably because of Butler's full commitment on both offense and defense.

only.
In these games, even without Butler, the Warriors would have a very high probability of winning easily.
Butler's technical statistics panel, which even Qin Yue couldn't bear to look at, turned Butler into another major "Achilles' heel" for Qin Yue in judging people.

Especially the game where the Warriors played the Kings at home.

McRoberts, who has received significant tactical support from the Kings this season, nearly recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in a game against his former team.
Therefore, in comparison, Warriors fans are naturally very puzzled as to why the Warriors would trade McRoberts, a championship forward who has already proven himself, for a rookie whose potential is already limited.

In response, Warriors president Pat Riley, who had no choice but to take the blame, said in an interview: "We can't draw conclusions about a rookie player based on just one or two games."

To draw a conclusion?
If he could, Riley would like to draw a conclusion now.

That is, what exactly does Butler possess that would make the Warriors trade McRoberts for him?

In Riley's view, his career as president of the Warriors will one day be ruined by taking the blame for Qin Yue.

But what Riley couldn't do was...
Even though he knew Qin Yue's judgment of people was always terrible, he couldn't stop the new GOAT's sudden bursts of inspiration.

According to the schedule, the Warriors will face a heavyweight matchup in the second week of November.

They will travel to Los Angeles to challenge the Lakers.

Before the game, Paul, who was in the honeymoon period with Kobe, once again made a tough statement: "I don't know why everyone is so afraid of him (Qin Yue), but in my eyes, I will only regard him as an opponent that I must defeat."

As representatives of the two major schools of pull-up jumpers in the league today, both originating from Wake Forest.

With Chris Paul's "small pull-up" shot becoming increasingly refined, facing off against Qin Yue, whose "big pull-up" shot has reached a high level of mastery, this year's Lakers-Warriors rivalry is significantly more newsworthy than in previous years.

“You know, I’ve always admired Chris’s rebellious spirit.”

Before leading the Warriors to Los Angeles, Qin Yue said, "But I hope that after the next game, Chris can still maintain his unruly spirit."

……

PS: Here comes the short 5,000-word chapter. (Ah Qiao, when will you be able to update with another 10,000-word chapter? Hmm, tomorrow, okay? Ah Qiao will definitely push herself to squeeze out as much as possible and try to update with another 10,000-word chapter.)
(End of this chapter)